Counting devices for use with knitting needles



y 6, 1959 N. T. SANQDERS 2,887,858

COUNTING DEVICES FOR USE WITH KNITTING NEEDLES Filed Jan. 21, 1958 /NV5N 7292 HS'E'NT' United States Patent COUNTING DEVICES FOR USE WITH KNITTING NEEDLES Norman Thomas Sanders, Mappleborough Green, Studley,

England, assignor to Needle Industries Limited, Birmingham, England, a British company Application January 21, 1958, Serial No. 710,265 9 'Claims. (Cl. 66-117) This invention relates to a counting device for use with a hand knitting needle, which counting device comprises a sleeve-like assembly for threading on to the shank of a knitting needle and which includes a relatively movable numeral bearing member on which the numerals are marked or mounted at spaced positions and an aperture or other indicating member, which aperture or indicating member can be brought into registration with a particular numeral or group of numerals by relative movement between the two members. Such devices are used by being threaded on to the shank of a knitting needle, in which position they are adapted to count rows or stitches as the knitting proceeds.

It is desirable to arrange that such counting devices are located on the knitting needle against axial movement thereon and to this end such counting devices are commonly provided with retaining members which hold the devices against such axial displacement.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide such a counting device wherein the weight of the device is kept as low as possible.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a counting device which is suitable for use on knitting needles of a wide range of sizes (for example, knitting needles of gauge 6-14) whereby the necessity of providing a number of sizes of counting devices corresponding to the difierent sizes of knitting needles is avoided.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a counting device wherein the length of said device is kept as small as possible so that the main length of the shank of the knitting needle is interfered with as little as possible.

In accordance with the present invention I provide a counting device for use in association with a hand knittingneedle comprising an inner sleeve having an axially extending bore, numerals circumferentially spaced around the outer surface of said inner sleeve, an outer sleeve rotatably mounted on said inner sleeve and having a viewing aperture adapted to expose said numerals, and retaining means for locating said device axially on a knitting needle inserted into the bore, said retaining means comprising a pair of coiled springs extending across said bore and mounted side-by-side in said bore on opposite sides of the axis of the bore, said members being adapted to be displaced laterally and exert pressure on the shank of a knitting needle inserted into said bore.

a As stated above, a counting device constructed in accordance with the present invention is designed for use with a hand knitting needle and is for the purpose of counting the rows of knitting. In use the shank of the knitting needle is inserted into the bore of the counting device and the latter is then slid along the shank until it lies adjacent the knob of the knitting needle. Said shank of the knitting needle deflects laterally the retaining means, thereby causing the latter to exert a gripping pressure on the knitting needle so as to retain the counting device in position adjacent the knob of the needle.

2,887,858 Patented May 26, 1959 The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing by way of example a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one construction of counting device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a diametral cross section of the same construction.

Figure 3 is an end view with one of the relatively rotatable parts of one sleeve removed to expose the retaining means, and

Figures 4 to 6 are corresponding views illustrating an alternative construction.

Referring firstly to the construction illustrated in Figures l to 3, the device comprises an assembly of inner and outer sleeves, the outer sleeve 10 being formed of resilient strip metal and being of regular polygonal shape in cross section embodying ten sides, one of which incorporates a gap 11 constituting a viewing aperture.

The inner sleeve comprises two main parts 12 and 13, each rotatable relatively to each other and relatively to the outer sleeve 10, the part 12 incorporating a drum element 14 upon the outer face of which are marked numerals 0-9 at circumferentially spaced positions and the part 13 incorporating a drum element 15 which is similarly marked.

The outer sleeve 10 is retained in position by means of end cap portions 16 and 17 on the parts 12 and 13 respectively, each such end cap portion afiording an axially inwardly directed channel, as indicated at 18 and 19 respectively, in which channels the adjacent end portions of the sleeve 10 are received The outer side walls of the channels 18 and 19 constituted by rings 20 and 21 which are an integral part of the end cap portions concerned are also of regular polygonal form in cross section, incorporating ten sides (see Figure 3) and the sleeve 10 is maintained by virtue of its own resilience in pressure contact with these rings so as to provide ten stopping positions.

This feature of the counting device is the subject of my co-pending US. patent application Serial No. 710,330 filing date January 21, 1958, to which reference may be had for further details.

The two parts 12 and 13 of the inner sleeve are retained in assembled relationship with each other by a spigot portion 22 integral with the drum element 14 and extending through the drum element 15, said spigot portion after assembly being acted upon to form a flange 23 at its outer end. This feature is the subject of my J co-pending US. patent application to which reference may be had for further details.

The drum element 14 is secured by adhesive or in any other suitable manner in an annular groove 24 formed in the end cap portion 16 which incorporates an internal spigot 25 of internal and external diameter equal to that of the spigot 22. The two spigots are spaced apart axially to provide a circumferentially extending annular recess 26 in the inner surface of the bore 27, and this recess is utilised for the accomodation of part of the retaining means forming the subject of the present invention and which are provided for the purpose of retaining the device as a whole on the shank of a knitting needle entered through the bore 27.

In the construction shown in Figures 2 and 3, the retaining means comprise a pair of retaining members eaeasae passing through the axis of the bore perpendicular to the axes of the coil springs at a point approximately midway between the axis of the bore and the adjacent end of the reference diameter. Said springs 28 and 29 are composed of coils of a diameter which is substantially less than the radius of the bore 27 and when in position in a counting device not mounted on a knitting needle, these springs are substantially unstressed, i.e, they are neither compressed nor extended axially.

To maintain the requisite separation between the springs 28 and 29 to facilitate the entry between them of the pointed end of the shank of the knitting needle, the end face of one of the spigots, preferably the spigot 22, incorporates a pair of lugs situated at diametrically opposed positions between the two springs, as may be seen in Figure 3, and the end face of the other spigot 25 is disposed sufiiciently close to these lugs or in contact therewith as to prevent the springs from becoming misplaced by a transposition from one half of the annular recess 26 to the other half. i

The springs themselves may be made of any suitable spring wire such as spring steel wire of 33 S.W.G.

Upon insertion into the bore 27 of the shank of a knitting needle the two springs 28 and 29 are deflected laterally, the greatest deflection taking place at the centre of the length of each spring.

For the largest size of needle which is only slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of the bore 27, the springs 28 and 29 will be deflected so that they are wholly or substantial wholly accommodated in the respective portions of the annular recess 26, whereas for smaller sized needles each spring will be bowed into an are having a greater radius of curvature than that of the annular recess. In either case the two springs will grip the shank of the knitting needle effectively so as to prevent unwanted endwise displacement of the counting device along the needle but the gripping force will not be unduly great even for the largest sized needle nor insuiiicient for the smallest sized needle. Furthermore, the use of coil springs enables a substantial length of spring wire to be incorporated in each, for example, about 2 inches.

Due to the appreciable length of wire incorporated in each such spring, the latter is enabled to exert a gripping pressure on the shank of the knitting needle which does not vary too markedly from the smallest sized needle to the largest sized needle and consequently the device is satisfactorily retained against endwise displacement with whatever needles it may be used.

In the construction illustrated in Figures 4 to 6, parts corresponding to those of the construction illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 have been designated by like reference numerals. In this construction, however, the retaining means, instead of being mounted in the device at a position in the mid-region of its length, is situated adjacent to one end and the part 12 of the inner sleeve is modified inasmuch as the spigot 22 is continued at its full wall thickness up to a position adjacent to the end at which the retaining means are required to be disposed. The end cap portion at this end is adhesively secured along the interface 31 to the extremity of the spigot 22 and this end cap portion incorporates an inwardly directed flange 33 which is spaced axially from the end face of the spigot 22 so as to form an annular recess 34 for the accommodation of part of the retaining means.

The retaining means comprise in this case a single turn 35 of spring wire such as steel wire conveniently of circular cross section and typically having a gauge of about 14 S.W.G. The end portions 36 and 37 of this turn are bent inwardly to extend across the bore 37 formed in the spigot 22 and lie on opposite sides of the axis of said bore so as to form jaws which can grip the shank of the needle.

Adjacent to the positions at which the end portions 36 and 37 are connected to the turn 35 they intersect with each other as viewed axially of the bore and they are also bent in the region of their mid-points so as to present V shaped or possibly other concave or recessed faces towards each other for embracing and gripping the shank of the knitting needle at opposite sides thereof. The initial spacing apart of the end portions 36 and 37 should, of course, be somewhat less than the diameter of the smallest size of knitting needle shank with which the device is required to be used.

Due to the crossing relationship of the end portions 36 and 37, any moving apart of these end portions by the shank of a knitting needle inserted between them tends to contract the turn 35 slightly, and, therefore, the whole length of the spring wire embodied in the turn is stressed uniformly without there being any positive or other obstruction to the resultant straining of the wire.

Consequently, in this construction also a satisfactory degree of uniformity as to the pressure exerted against the shank of a needle is attained throughout the whole range of needle sizes with which the device is required to be used.

It will be evident that in both constructions as above described the axial length of the counting device is no longer determined by the functional requirements of the retaining means as has hitherto been the case, and this permits both the inner and outer sleeves, the former comprising the parts 12 and 13, to be made shorter than has hitherto been the case, thereby substantially reducing the weight of the device as a whole.

The construction shown in Figures 1 to 3 is also especially advantageous inasmuch as the retaining means themselves comprising the springs 28 and 29 are of extremely light weight.

It will be understood that although it is preferred to employ a pair of retaining members disposed side-by-side or olfset from each other axially to only a slight extent as in the construction shown in Figures 4 to 6, it would be within the scope of the invention to employ a single retaining member such as, for example, one of the springs 28 or 29 extending across the bore or, alternatively, more than two such retaining members might be employed, either at axially spaced positions or in or adjacent to a common radial plane, as may be convenient in any particular case.

What I claim then is:

1. A counting device for use in association with a hand knitting needle comprising an inner sleeve having an axially extending bore, numerals circumferentially spaced around the outer surface of said inner sleeve, an outer sleeve rotatably mounted on said inner sleeve and having a viewing aperture adapted to expose said numerals, and retaining means for locating said device axially on a knitting needle inserted into the bore, said retaining members comprising a pair of coiled springs extending across said bore and mounted side-by-side in said bore on opposite sides of the axis of the bore, said member being adapted to be displaced laterally and exert pressure on the shank of a knitting needle inserted into said bore.

2. A counting device for use in association with a hand knitting needle comprising an inner sleeve having an axially extending bore, numerals circumferentially spaced around the outer surface of said inner sleeve, an outer sleeve rotatably mounted on said inner sleeve and having a viewing aperture adapted to expose said numerals, and retaining means for locating said device axially on a knitting needle inserted into the bore, said retaining means comprising a pair of coiled springs, the end portions of which are located in internal recesses in the bore, said springs extending across said bore in a side-by-side relationship on opposite sides of the axis of said bore, said pair of coiled springs being adapted to be laterally deflected by and exert pressure on the shank of a knitting needle inserted into the bore.

3. A counting device for use in association with a hand knitting needle comprising an inner sleeve having an axially extending bore, numerals circumferentially spaced around the outer surface of said inner sleeve, an outer sleeve rotatably mounted on said inner sleeve and having a viewing aperture adapted to expose said numerals, and retaining means for locating said device axially on a knitting needle inserted into the bore, said retaining means comprising a pair of coiled springs each having a diameter substantially less than the radius of said bore, said springs extending across the bore and arranged in spaced apart generally parallel relationship with each other such that their axes intersect with a reference diameter of the bore perpendicular to said axes at positions between the centre of the bore and the ends of said reference diameter, the coil springs being laterally deflectable by the shank of a knitting needle inserted into the bore.

4. A counting device for use in association with a hand knitting needle comprising an inner sleeve having an axially extending bore, numerals circumferentially spaced around the outer surface of said inner sleeve, an outer sleeve rotatably mounted on said inner sleeve and having a viewing aperture adapted to expose said numerals, and retaining means for locating said device axially on a knitting needle inserted into the bore, said retaining means comprising a length of spring wire, and a pair of jaws formed as inwardly extending end portions of said length of spring wire, said jaws being laterally displaceable by the shank of a knitting needle inserted into said bore.

5. A counting device for use in association with a hand knitting needle comprising an inner sleeve having an axially extending bore, numerals circumferentially spaced around the outer surface of said inner sleeve, an outer sleeve rotatably mounted on said inner sleeve and having a viewing aperture adapted to expose said numerals, and retaining means for locating said device axially on a knitting needle inserted into the bore, said retaining means comprising a length of spring wire, and jaws formed at inwardly extending end portions of said length of spring wire, said jaws being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of the bore and at least one of said jaws having a concave shank receiving portion facing the other jaw, the intermediate portion of the length of spring wire being in the form of a ring of at least one turn.

6. A counting device for use in association with a hand knitting needle comprising an inner sleeve having an axially extending bore, numerals circumferentially spaced around the outer surface of said inner sleeve, an outer sleeve rotatably mounted on said inner sleeve and having a viewing aperture adapted to expose said numerals, and retaining means for locating said device axially on a knitting needle inserted into the bore, said retaining means comprising a length of spring wire, a pair of jaws 6 formed as inwardly extending end portions of said length of spring wire, a portion intermediate said jaws in the form of a single turn, said jaws projecting inwardly across the aperture alforded by said turn, the portion of the wire at the junctions of the jaws and turn crossing over each other as viewed along the axis of the sleeve-like assembly.

7. A counting device for use in association with a hand knitting needle comprising an inner sleeve having an axially extending bore, numerals circumferentially spaced around the outer surface of said inner sleeve, an outer sleeve rotatably mounted on said inner sleeve and having a viewing aperture adapted to expose said numerals, and retaining means for locating said device axially on a knitting needle inserted into the bore, said retaining means comprising at least one retaining member adapted to be displaced into a recess formed in the bore on the insertion into said bore of a knitting needle of diameter approaching the diameter of said bore.

8. A counting device for use in association with a hand knitting needle comprising an inner sleeve having an axially extending bore, numerals circumferentially spaced around the outer surface of said inner sleeve, an outer sleeve rotatably mounted on said inner sleeve and having a viewing aperture adapted to expose said numerals, and retaining means for locating said device axially on a knitting needle inserted into the bore, said retaining means comprising a pair of retaining members mounted in said inner sleeve, said inner sleeve comprising a pair of axially removable separate parts defining an annular channel in which the end portions of said retaining members are received.

9. A counting device for use in association with a hand knitting needle comprising an inner sleeve having an axially extending bore, numerals circumferentially spaced around the outer surface of said inner sleeve, an outer sleeve rotatably mounted on said inner sleeve and having a viewing aperture adapted to expose said numerals, and retaining means for locating said device axially on a knitting needle inserted into the bore, said retaining means comprising a pair of coiled springs mounted in said inner sleeve, said inner sleeve comprising a pair of axially removable separate parts defining an annular channel in which the end portions of said coiled springs are received, spacer elements being provided in said annular channel to separate the adjacent ends of said two coiled springs.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 678,597 Great Britain Sept. 3, 1952 

